1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which can remotely manage a power source, a method for controlling the same, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an environment in which many image processing apparatuses are operated while connected to a network, it is required to use a method for performing intensive power management for these image processing apparatuses. For example, when taking a long vacation, a company may need to turn off the power sources of all image processing apparatuses before the vacation. In addition, when electric service is planned to be interrupted, there is a need for the manager to turn off the power sources of all the image processing apparatuses. On the other hand, there is known a conventional technique of allowing the manager to shut down a plurality of image processing apparatuses connected to a network by remote control via the network. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-216118 has proposed a technique of managing power source information of all or some of image forming apparatuses connected to a network and allowing to make ON/OFF setting for the power source of each image forming apparatus, thereby comprehensively managing the usage of each image forming apparatus.
The conventional techniques, however, have the following problems. There is a tendency for recent image processing apparatuses to take a long time to enable users to actually operate the apparatuses after they operate the power switches because of a tendency toward an increasing number of functions. One of the reasons for this kind of problem is that software for operating a controller to control an image processing apparatus increases in size along with an increase in the number of functions. In contrast to this, there is a technique available for keeping part of a controller including a memory energized; that is, keeping the controller in a kind of standby state without actually turning off the power source of the overall apparatus when the user performs a power-OFF operation. This allows the image processing apparatus to be set in an operative state within a short period of time by using the contents of the memory when the user performs the next power-ON operation.
Combining the conventional remote control shutdown technique with the image processing apparatus using the above technique will give rise to the problem of the apparatus shifting to the standby state even if the manager wants to turn off the power source. In this standby state, since part of the controller is in an energized state, the power source of the image processing apparatus is not completely turned off. A power failure in such an incomplete power OFF state may cause a failure in the image processing apparatus. Such an operation is therefore undesirable as a remote control shutdown operation.